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At the Intersection of Sports and Culture

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View from Spring Training: 2011 Chicago White Sox

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2011 Chicago White Sox

NFL Equivalent – New York Jets: This is really only because of the similarities between Jets head coach Rex Ryan and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. Both are loud, bombastic, braggadocios leaders whose words/actions tend to overshadow the accomplishments of their teams. Chicago has at least won a World Series under Guillen while Ryan’s act in New York cannot last unless the Jets eventually come through on some of his bold pronouncements.  Ozzie is an active member of twitter, @OzzieGuillen, and we need to start a campaign to try and get Rex Ryan to join the Twittesphere. What would his handle be?

Google Search: Free agent acquisition Adam Dunn makes perfect sense for the White Sox. With the addition of Dunn, Chicago significantly added to their payroll and seems to be going all in in 2011. One thing that could stand in their way is the health of SP Jake Peavy who is rehabbing after surgery to repair a detached latissimus dorsi. This is the technical term for “he tore off the muscle that connects his shoulder and back”. When you put it this way doesn’t sound so nice does it?

Famous Movie Quote: You get out there, and the stands are full and everybody’s cheerin’. It’s like everybody in the world come to see you. And inside of that there’s the players, they’re yakkin’ it up. The pitcher throws and you look for that pill… suddenly there’s nothing else in the ballpark but you and it. Sometimes, when you feel right, there’s a groove there, and the bat just eases into it and meets that ball. When the bat meets that ball and you feel that ball just give, you know it’s going to go a long way. Damn, if you don’t feel like you’re going to live forever. – John Cusack from Eight Men Out

Underrated quote from and underrated movie. Can you imagine the type of impact the Chicago Black Sox scandal of 1919 would have if it happened in 2011? I guess MLB players today would never throw a World Series like the Black Sox did because players today make way too much money to risk giving it all away. Even still, it does make you wonder…..2011 prediction: 88-74, 2nd place AL Central

view from Phoenix Municipal Stadium courtesy of @chipcali

Bracketscapes: Tulsa, Oklahoma

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Tulsa, Oklahoma – BOK Center (March 18 & 20: Rounds 2,3)

Why your dad likes Tulsa: Fair to say some dads don’t even know what state Tulsa is in. Most common incorrect guesses: 1) Texas 2) Nebraska 3) Saskatchewan. I mean no disrespect to the fine people of Oklahoma, your love for the OKC Thunder is proving that you can support a big time sports franchise. I do intend to imply that Tulsa seems like a rather random choice to host the NCAA tournament. I wonder how the NCAA chooses host cities. I’m guessing the location must have a sizable arena to fit a large crowd and a local university/athletic conference to sponsor the event but beyond that…

Signature Food/Drink: Tulsa seems like your quintessential steak and potato type destination. Of course, I associate any state referenced in Lonesome Dove as having good steer. Speaking of good steak from the Great Plains, I had an Omaha steak a few weeks ago, not terrible but definitely not worth the hype.  Perhaps the fact that they’re delivered frozen had something to do with the overall quality.

College Basketball History: Tulsa hasn’t hosted a NCAA tournament game since 1985. It also boasts the second smallest population, a little over 900K, of any 2011 host city. Smallest? Dayton, Ohio. If the city of Tulsa can successfully pull this weekend off and attract people to the arena/downtown area there is a chance the tourney could return to Oklahoma in the future but only after Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Portland, Maine get their fair shot first.

Bracket Predictions: Round 2 – (13) Oakland over (4) Texas, (5) Arizona over (12) Memphis, (1) Kansas over (16) BU, (8) UNLV over (9) Illinois Round 3 – Arizona over Oakland, Kansas over UNLV

view from the BOK Center courtesy of @KCTVphotog_Bill

Bracketscapes: Charlotte, North Carolina

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Charlotte, North Carolina – Time Warner Cable Arena (March 18&20: Rounds 2,3)

Why your dad likes Charlotte: If your dad likes NASCAR he’s going to love Charlotte. Charlotte, NC is the home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which includes a whole lot of old race cars and plaques honoring past racing greats like Richard Petty and the late great Dale Earnhardt. If your dad is an Evangelical Christian, tell him to visit the Billy Graham Library which includes an enormous barn w/ a cross carved into one of its sides. Can’t make this stuff up.

Signature Food/Drink: Gotta be the BBQ. This past summer I went to a BBQ festival called the “Pig in the Pines” in of all places St. Germain, Wisconsin. One of the vendors at this gluttonfest was called the Carolina Rib King. So simple, yet so good. How come when I smoke ribs/brisket it never turns out as good? What’s the secret? Furthermore, why can’t I find good BBQ in Connecticut? The Northeast needs to band together and pledge to create a formidable BBQ recipe that rivals the quality and quantity of the Carolina Rib King, Famous Dave’s, and Texas Outlaws. Who’s coming with me?

College Basketball History: With 80 games hosted, Charlotte ranks 3rd in total NCAA tournament games behind Kansas City, 116, and Salt Lake City, 83. Not surprisingly, Duke and North Carolina have played in 60 of those 80 games. (I totally made that number up but doesn’t it feel like the Blue Devils and Tar Heels are always playing NCAA tournament games in their backyard? And why is Jim Nantz always assigned to those game?

Bracket Predictions: Round 2 – (1) Duke over (16) Hampton, (8) Michigan over (9) Tennessee, (2) North Carolina over (15) LIU, (7) Washington over (10) Georgia Round 3 – Duke over Michigan, Washington over UNC

view from Time Warner Cable Arena courtesy of @cwalts79

View from Spring Training: 2011 St. Louis Cardinals

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2011 St. Louis Cardinals

NFL Equivalent – Green Bay Packers: No, the St. Louis Cardinals are not VMS pick to win the 2011 World Series. However, the Redbirds do share many characteristics with the Packers, their brethren from the Midwest. Much like GB, the Cardinals boast some of the friendliest, most loyal, and knowledgeable fans in all professional sports.  Cardinals/Packers fans do not carry themselves with the same hardened, acerbic grittiness as say Red Sox or Yankess fans but their passion rivals any other fan base in the country. Both franchises have a history of winning as well.

Google Search: Two stories this offseason: 1) Albert Pujols’ contract talks 2) Adam Wainwright’s arm injury. The Pujols contract situation – he enters 2011 in the final year of his current deal with the Cardinals – threatens to dominate the back pages of most St. Louis newspapers. It’s been said that he is looking for ARod type money, somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million a season, which clearly the mid market Cardinals cannot afford to pay him. So, if he’s really looking for that sort of cash, he will have to look to the Angels, Red Sox, Yankees, or (gulp) Cubs. Here’s hoping Albert chooses to stay in St. Louis, it’s much better for baseball that way. Wainwright, along with Chris Carpenter – from New Hampshire – have been the workhorses of a very stable Cardinal starting rotation. With Wainwright now shelved for the season after Tommy John surgery, who does St. Louis turn to to provide them with those same innings/quality starts?

Famous Movie Quote: Look, we’re gonna spend half the night driving around the Hills looking for this one party and you’re going to say it sucks and we’re all gonna leave and then we’re gonna go look for this other party. But all the parties and all the bars, they all suck. I spend half the night talking to some girl who’s looking around the room to see if there’s somebody else who’s more important she should be talking to. And it’s like I’m supposed to be all happy ’cause she’s wearing a backpack, you know? And half of them are just nasty skanks who wouldn’t be nothing except they’re surrounded by a bunch of drunken horny assholes. And I’m gonna tell you something T. Are you listening? – Jon Favreau from Swingers

This quote is for Albert Pujols who while searching for that $30 million a year will no doubt be wined and dined by all types of suitors, some attractive – Cubs – some downright nasty – Royals. In the end, will he come to his senses and realize that the chase is never as satisfying as the one you already love, who also happens to love you? The 2011 Cardinals will have another good year but the Pujols contract talks will be the loudest topic in St. Louis since the Blues signed Wayne Gretzky. 2011 prediction: 85-77, 2nd place NL Central

view from Space Coast Stadium courtesy of @athalonathlete

Bracketscapes: Tucson, Arizona

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Tucson, Arizona – McKale Center (March 17 & 19: Rounds 2,3)

Why your dad likes Tucson: This one was too easy for me because my dad loves Tucson and has visited the area several times. He likes to tell us all the story of when he was walking through the Sonoran Desert and almost stepped on a rattlesnake. The story is only funny if you know that my dad has an Indiana Jones sized fear of snakes. The other remarkable thing about Tucson is the climate diversity. There aren’t many places on this earth where you can find snow covered cacti in the middle of March. There’s a reason why Saguaro National Park is one of the most visited parks in the United States.

Signature Food/Drink: Mojitos are really not worth the effort. I once had a friend spend an entire party making mojitos for his guests.  Guy must have spent 4 hours grinding fresh mint leaves. Not to mention, the drink is way to sugary for me. After only one mojito I feel like I may slip into a diabetic coma. Tucson has plenty of food options including fresh Mexican, Indian, and Thai. The food options are reflective of a very diverse population.

College Basketball History: The McKale Center has hosted its fair share of 1st and 2nd round tournament games. In 2005, Adam Morrison – yeah remember him – led the Gonzaga Bulldogs into the second round before they were upset by Bobby Knight’s Texas Tech Red Raiders. Here’s hoping Jon Leuer finds greater NBA success than Morrison.

Bracket Predictions: Round 2 – (7) Temple over (10) Penn St., (2) San Diego St. over (15) No. Colorado, (4) Wisconsin over (13) Belmont, (12) Utah St., over (5) Kansas St. Round 3 – SDSU over Temple, Wisconsin over Utah St.

view from Tucson courtesy of @corygiger